Nerves and anxiety can often lead you into a spiral of overthinking absolutely every detail in your head. I’ve made a list of what helps me with these feelings and sometimes, scary emotions that I’ve been practicing during lockdown. Mental health is more important than ever since we’re spending more time at home with less distractions, it’s essential that we look after ourselves during this time. You may feel like certain issues in your head seem heightened and cause you to be more anxious because we are constantly thinking and tend to then overthink which leads us to impossible scenarios that have been created in our own heads. I hope this list and information can help you in some way. 1.    Breathing. Taking a very long deep breath regulates your heartbeat, and when you overthink you can often feel like your heart is beating faster and faster. So taking deep breaths can help these thoughts slow up and your heart rate back to normal. 2.    Walking/ exercise. Exercise has such an effect on our bodies that automatically make us feel good. However, walking and going out in fresh air, is the best way to clear your head and take in beautiful scenery. This let’s your mind wander off rather than overthinking. 3.    Cleaning. I absolutely love Mrs Hinch and making my home tidy, clean and smell fresh makes me feel so much better. You’re also distracting your mind and focusing on something else, which takes away the worry and anxiousness. Organising also makes me feel like my life is together, and learning how to fold Marie Kondo style satisfies my mind so much. I ordered drawer dividers from Amazon that are so useful in my home. 4.    Watching or listening to favourite influencers/YouTubers and/ or ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response). Since we’ve been in lockdown, I’ve been using Youtube a lot more, I like to watch Lydia Elise Millen and Gemma Louise Miles for their content and vlogs. You’ll also be able to see how they’re coping with lockdown.  They cover various topics but

it ultimately comes down to what you like to watch and what interests you. ASMR is something that I have used for a while but I am using it now more than ever. I use it before I go to bed to calm my mind but also when I’m feeling overwhelmed or anxious, I highly recommend these videos to regulate your heartbeat and make you feel totally relaxed. The asmr artists I watch use techniques in the video so that I experience ‘tingles’ and ultimately feel relaxed and so sleepy. I usually fall asleep before the video ends. My favourite are LilyWhispers and Mads Asmr. 5.    Reading can take your mind into a completely different place, and undoubtedly makes your mind focus on that instead of the anxious feeling. You may find that reading is your new hobby and start discovering new writers that you like and may continue to read after the lockdown is lifted. 6.    Talking to a close friend that may experience the same feelings can really help in finding out why you may feel anxious. Even talking to someone and voicing your thoughts may even find solutions to problems. Share with each other the tips you may use to get rid of anxiety. 7.    Good self care is a factor that lowers my risk of experiencing any anxious feelings. Going for a bath / shower, doing your hair/makeup, moisturising, are all things that lift my spirits during lockdown or any time really. Let self care be an important part of your day, by looking after you, you view yourself as important to nurture, and so by doing this your mental state will improve,  by making yourself a priority. 8.    Now I have the time, I filled a photo album of photos from special events in my life, it’s a fun activity and lets you look back at joyous times in your life with family and friends. It made me realise to not take anything for granted and be grateful for everyday. I also made a dream board on Pinterest, I got the idea from Gemma Louise Miles on Youtube. You can search photos and pin them onto a board in Pinterest to show what you want to have or achieve in life. This can be in a year, 5 years, 10 years etc, this exercise makes you hopeful of what is to come in your life whilst being excited about what to look forward to. 9.    I honestly believe that online shopping makes me feel better, that may sound silly however ticking it off a ‘to do’ list of things that needed done feels like a sense of achievement. There are only so much you can feel excited about at this time, and receiving a parcel to your order from you to you is one of them. So, a little bit of self indulgence can really lift your spirits and ultimately lower stress levels, and boost your happiness. 10.    There are lots of different anxiety exercises online that regulate your heartbeat and breathing, that bring your mind back to a steady place. One exercise I really enjoy in particular is the A – Z of boy and girl name game. Starting with A, think of a boy and girl name with that letter and continue down the alphabet. This has really helped me calm down from situations and overthinking constantly.